White bar tape........ practical?

[Onthedrops]

Have to say the white bar tape on my bike looked awesome when new.
It's starting to show some signs of grubbiness now. I pride myself on presenting my bike in pristine condition and now feel the tape is starting to let it down.

I have a Defy Advanced in white and black. The saddle is white and so far remains unmarked.

Not intending on changing my saddle so presume the rules maintain I keep the matching bar tape.
Would it be better to retake with new or is their something wonderful out there that will revive my tape to its former splendour?
Baby wipes just don't seem to be cutting the grime anymore.

 

[S-Express]

Baby wipes aren't even particulary good at cleaning babies' arses, so expecting them to work on bar tape is highly ambitious.

Use a washing up brush, with plenty of washing up liquid. Or use a gel/vinyl tape like Selle Italia Smootape Corsa, which grips well, but doesn't hold dirt like a cork tape does.

 

[Spiderweb]

Warm water, a little washing up liquid and a small nail brush works wonders on white bar tape.

 

[slowmotion]

A nail brush and Cif kitchen/bathroom surface cleaner. A nail brush is key. Baby Wipes are for small bottoms, not serious manky grime and grease.

 

[si_c]

Do any significant number of miles and with white bar tape you'll find they get grubby to a degree. Smootape is OK, it's gets dirty slower than other tapes it would seem. I replace mine every six months or so.

 

[mythste]

Wear the grub with pride, and remind the rest of the people you ride with that their bars are almost certainly dirtier, but they can't see it

 

[slowmotion]

Isn't white bar tape bound to get grimy? I don't carry a pair of Marigolds to protect my hands in the event of a puncture, and latex gloves go through within ten seconds of snapping them on. The mank ends up on the bars. Who cares?

 

[jack smith]

Makeup wipes work better

 

[Milkfloat]

I have a white winter bike with white saddle and previously white tape. After having to replace the bar tape too frequently I have given up trying to match collar and cuffs, I feel liberated.

 

[dim]

here's my Giant:

I will replace the white bar tape with black. I had the white saddle, but changed that for a Brooks Cambium C17 Carved

 

[Mrs M]

Nail polish remover

 

[biggs682]

looks good but shows the dirt

 

[Kestevan]

Lifes too short for white bar tape.
Do yourself a favour and replace it with black tape.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

White tape is for showrooms. White shorts too.
One small en-route operation on your chain ruins both of those.
Get black tape, ride sans souci and drink beer.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

White tape is very practical. When I bought my last road bike, and it had white bar tape, a bit later on I was able to tell to the minute when it became too manky to keep using. That was when it got to just the right ugly shade of dirty grey: I never knew my hands could accumulate quite so much dirt.